During the first half of one of those enthralling Premier League games that is
broadcasting gold around the world, Jose Mourinho stood as if turned to
stone in the technical area, staring ruefully at the wreckage of Chelsea’s
midfield as Spurs poured through.

“You’re not special any more,” crowed those with a cockerel on their chests. Mourinho stayed calm, stayed focused and intervened at half-time, making the changes that turned the tide here at White Hart Lane.

If the opening 45 minutes, and particularly the build-up to Gylfi Sigurdsson’s goal, highlighted Spurs’ exciting progress under Andre Villas-Boas, events after the break provided a reminder of Mourinho’s undimmed alchemist qualities, not to mention supplying a riposte to Spurs’ sceptical choirs.

He has made mistakes on his return to English football, not least the bewildering decision to loan Romelu Lukaku to Everton and that agenda-driven, forward-free system at Old Trafford, but Mourinho still possesses the ability to reclaim the initiative from the rival dug-out.

It was not simply the introduction of Juan Mata for the overwhelmed John Obi Mikel that gave Chelsea more creativity and eventually a deserved point when the Spaniard provided the free-kick assist for John Terry’s headed equaliser. It was Mourinho’s switch of Ramires into central midfield that also paid off.

Chelsea finally had somebody standing up to Paulinho and Moussa Dembélé and staring down Christian Eriksen. Chelsea were not on the back foot any more. They had more belief and balance.

The half-time tweak has become almost a signature move of Mourinho’s career. In his first spell as Chelsea coach, Mourinho made some significant decisions at the midway point of some matches.

Some were changes of personnel. Some were changes of positioning. In 2007 Michael Essien went right for the second half against Valencia and scored and Mikel replaced a struggling Claude Makelele against Porto and restored order.

Mourinho’s boldness at the break can backfire. In 2005, the press box at St James’ Park buzzed with incredulity when the Chelsea manager played all his cards in an FA Cup tie. Chelsea were trailing 1-0 to Newcastle United but nobody expected Mourinho’s dramatic response. Geremi, Joe Cole and Tiago were taken off.

Eidur Gudjohnsen, Frank Lampard and Damien Duff were sent on. There was no margin for error, no safety net if somebody fell lame, no emergency tactical card in reserve. Inevitably, Wayne Bridge was injured, Carlo Cudicini was dismissed while Duff and William Gallas were hobbling but stayed on. Needless to say, Chelsea lost.

Mourinho will gamble, enjoying the chance of being the match-day star. It is why he is the best paid manager in the world. He takes responsibility and rarely hesitates.

Mourinho famously acted decisively in the Champions League at Old Trafford last season, sensing Manchester United’s vulnerability and distracted nature when Nani was dismissed. Mourinho, his veins filled with ice, immediately sent on Luka Modric as anger took damaging control of Sir Alex Ferguson. As Ferguson railed, Mourinho prevailed.

He needed to get involved at half-time at the Lane. Chelsea were being overrun. The home fans were taunting Mourinho, telling him to sit down, inquiring where his mojo had gone. Mourinho had to wait 45 painful minutes before he could address properly the Eriksen problem.

The Dane’s nimble footwork was seen in the tunnel before kick-off where he shimmied around the substantial figure of the Spurs-supporting rugby man, Sam Warburton, proud owner of two dogs “Gus” and “Teddy” (“Glenn” sadly passed away).

Eriksen was soon turning away from Lampard and Mikel with such ease that one had to marvel again at Daniel Levy’s negotiating skills. Only £11.5 million for Eriksen from Ajax? Fabulous business for Spurs.

Until Ramires closed the space around him in the second half, Eriksen’s class shone through. He dropped deep at times early on, collecting possession off the back-four. He showed his distribution skills, moving the ball quickly to Roberto Soldado, who failed to control it but acknowledged Eriksen’s proffered gift with a thumbs-up. The pair’s next link-up brought reward. Having ghosted away from Lampard, Eriksen found Soldado, who laid the ball off to Sigurdsson to score.

Mourinho watched and waited his moment to intervene.

A minute before Mike Dean drew the first half to a breathless conclusion, Mourinho went and stood at the top of the tunnel, catching the last few attacks, before ensuring he was first one to the dressing-room, preparing to galvanise his players. He certainly must have said something inspiring to Fernando Torres, who re-emerged a more combative individual, although a lengthening dispute with Jan Vertonghen also fired him up.

All the old burst of acceleration, timing of run and scent of an opportunity suddenly defined Torres again. He took his duel with Vertonghen too far, and that scratch was unpleasant, but this was Torres unplugged, unleashed. Torres has looked listless for too long at Chelsea. If Mourinho can conjure more performances like this out of the £50 million man (the dynamism but not the indiscipline), he will be a managerial magician.

Now creating havoc behind Torres was last season’s successful triumvirate of Oscar, Mata and Eden Hazard. For all the praise heaped on Mourinho at the Lane there is also the counter-argument that he should have started Mata, fielding a front four that worked well here last season when Chelsea won 4-2, Mata scored twice and Ramires started in the centre.

Mourinho’s sparing use of Mata has understandably perplexed many Chelsea fans as well as onlookers. He talked of Mata needing to “come more in my direction”, namely contributing more when the opposition has possession. This was not simply tracking back; this was also about making a beeline for the ball at the first sign of an opposing defender attempting to build from the back. It is why Mourinho likes the energetic André Schürrle.

Mourinho remarked before last week’s Capital One Cup tie at Swindon Town that if Mata played well and “proved me wrong I will be the happy one”. It says much for Mata’s professionalism — and respect for his manager — that he came on and delivered for Mourinho here.

During one break in play, Mourinho called Mata over and gave him a few instructions. The Spaniard listened intently before turning to rejoin the game. Mourinho pulled him back, slapped him on the back in encouragement and then sent him out into the fray. Mata looks back in from the cold and Chelsea look the better for it.

Mata was now primarily in the centre with Oscar left and Hazard in Ramires’s old right-sided slot. Ramires broke off from stifling Eriksen after 65 minutes and charged forward, earning a free-kick when crudely stopped by Vertonghen. Mata lifted in the dead-ball, Terry paraded his determination and timing and Chelsea were deservedly level.

Such was the effect of Mourinho’s half-time shuffle that the fading Eriksen was withdrawn. Sensing a frailty in Spurs, Mourinho kept ushering Chelsea forward, then replacing Hazard’s trickery with the non-stop running of Schürrle. Torres’s controversial second yellow – for challenging Vertonghen – saw Mourinho involved again with nine minutes remaining, at first having a comforting word with the disbelieving striker as he sloped towards the tunnel.

Mourinho then organised the resistance. With Oscar sacrificed, Chelsea finished with Schürrle right, César Azpilicueta left and Mata an unlikely centre-forward.